Chapter 347: Shaving

A few minutes later, three hot dishes were placed on the dining table.All three were essentially vegetarian: one stir-fried green vegetable, one dish of water caltrops, and only the minced meat eggplant contained a hint of meat—barely the size of a fingernail when all the meat was combined."Brother Lin... our family is short on money, so we can't afford much meat. I'm afraid you'll have to make do for now," Li Qingshan said apologetically from the table.Chen Ling shook his head. "It's already wonderful to have food. Thank you, Brother Li.""Don't mention it. I can't promise much else, but there's plenty of rice to fill you up."Li Qingshan smiled slightly and picked up his chopsticks to eat.

Chen Ling, whose stomach was rumbling with hunger, was about to pick up his chopsticks when he suddenly turned his head earnestly, as if remembering something."Brother Li, I have a question.""Oh? Go ahead.""Has a troupe of about four performers passed through this town recently?"Chen Ling's top priority was to find his mysterious master and their group. It would be impossible for him to search the entire Mortal Realm by himself, but since they were a theatrical troupe, someone was bound to have seen them, offering a chance to gather information."A four-person troupe... that would be a very small group," Li Qingshan said, his brow slightly furrowed as if recalling something, then stated confidently, "No, if a troupe had come, I would definitely have gone to see them. I haven't heard any news of one recently."Chen Ling sighed inwardly.

"So you've been separated from your troupe?" Li Qingshan pondered, seemingly understanding why Chen Ling was wearing a theatrical robe and makeup, and had fainted alone in the back mountain woods."That's right," Chen Ling readily admitted."That's easy enough. If you're looking for a troupe, why not ask at the theater guild?" Li Qingshan suggested again. "Small troupes like that are usually registered with the guild. Where they perform, where they set up their stage—all that requires prior application...""Oh?" Chen Ling's eyes lit up. This information was undoubtedly crucial to him. "In that case, how do I contact the guild?""At this hour, the guild hall will probably be empty... Tomorrow morning, once they open, you can come with me," Li Qingshan said, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "Tomorrow is coincidentally the day of this year's preliminary auditions for the guild. I've been rejected in previous years, but this year, I absolutely have to pass!"Another night's delay?Chen Ling had no other immediate options, so he could only agree.

In the most optimistic scenario, perhaps the mysterious master could sense the mark on him and come here to take him away... But Chen Ling was never one to place his hopes on others; relying on oneself was always better than relying on anyone else. Moreover, he had no idea what kind of person that master was.Under Li Qingshan's astonished gaze, Chen Ling ate five large bowls of rice in one go, which finally somewhat eased his hunger and restored him from his state of exhaustion.Just as he was about to get up and clear the bowls, his expression suddenly changed!"Hee-hee-ha-ha..."Chen Ling quickly stuffed another mouthful of rice into his mouth.Li Qingshan, who was beside him, looked at Chen Ling in confusion. "Brother Lin, what's wrong?"Chen Ling's face was grim. He took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the intense urge to laugh, then shook his head and walked out of the house.It wasn't until he reached the narrow kitchen and set down the bowls that Chen Ling finally managed to swallow the rice in his mouth, then suppressed a sneer.The clown's white ash was like a ticking time bomb. Although not fatal at the moment, even these occasional bursts of laughter would make people think he was mentally ill...He had to find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible.

That night, Chen Ling temporarily lodged at Li Qingshan's house. Fortunately, the Mortal Realm was not cold, so sleeping on a mattress on the floor wouldn't be chilly. During this time, Li Qingshan offered to sleep on the floor himself, but Chen Ling refused.After all, he and Li Qingshan had only just met, and Chen Ling had not let his guard down for a moment. Even during the meal, he deliberately paused to ask questions, waiting for Li Qingshan and the old woman to take a few bites and confirm everything was fine before he started eating.The more unfamiliar the place, the more cautious one had to be. Chen Ling did not believe this realm was as simple as it appeared on the surface.As night deepened,Once Li Qingshan and the others were asleep, Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes in the darkness.He quietly slipped out of the room. The black dog in the corner was about to bark at the shadowy figure but was silenced by a single glare. Chen Ling pushed open the gate, left the courtyard, and walked alone to a deserted small bridge by the river. Under the bright moonlight, he frowned as he looked at his reflection in the water.

He narrowed his eyes, slowly drew a short knife from his sleeve, and pointed it at his face.The next moment, the blade plunged in without hesitation.Scarlet blood flowed down his cheek, dripping onto the bluestone path. Chen Ling's facial muscles trembled slightly, but he made no sound, silently making cut after cut until the skin, tainted with white ash, was lacerated and bleeding.Chen Ling's original appearance was quite handsome and refined, especially after embarking on the Path of the Theatrical God, where the subtle changes to his facial features made him even more striking. However, he didn't care about it. Having witnessed the demise of the Aurora Realm, he had long seen through the superficialities of the mortal world.He knew that in this era, a good-looking face was useless and could be discarded when necessary.But unfortunately... even though he had peeled off that portion of skin, and the white ash was no longer visible to the naked eye, the seal within him remained unbroken.The bright moon hung in the town's sky. Chen Ling silently watched the blood flow dilute in the river. Eventually, only the reflection of a bloody, mangled face remained on the shimmering water. He let out a long sigh."Removing the surface layer was useless. Does that mean I have to find a way to completely purge it? It seems I'll have to use that method."Chen Ling had one last resort, a method only he could use...Rebirth.Since this mark was etched so deeply, he would have to die once. In the process of his death and rebirth, all injuries and hidden ailments would be cleared. No matter how powerful the Clown's methods were, they could never surpass the Theater itself. This method had a 99% chance of freeing him from this white ash.But the current problem was that his audience expectation value was only 49. He needed at least 70 expectation value to be reborn without side effects."Do I have to stir up trouble again...?"Chen Ling pondered for a moment, then turned and walked back towards Li Qingshan's house.

At the first crow of the rooster in the early morning, Li Qingshan quickly began to wash up.He first changed into a clean blue long gown, then coiled his hair, and solemnly opened the black bag on the table. From it, he took out a brush and began to apply makeup to his face, his expression serious and focused.This process lasted a full hour. Only after he carefully examined his makeup in the mirror and confirmed it was flawless did he hastily push the door open and head out."Grandma! I'm leaving now! I'll be back at noon to cook for you!" he called into the house.As he reached the doorway, he froze.The morning breeze, carrying the fresh scent of earth, swept across the bluestone path of dawn. A figure draped in a large red theatrical robe was already standing beneath the willow tree, a black veil swaying gently over their cheek.